The system and method disclosed herein are generally related to electronic toll collection systems, and more specifically to a GPS-based toll collection system that uses a mobile app.
Currently, tolls on toll road are collected either manually or through some Electronic Toll Collection (“ETC”) system. Normal toll roads consist of a web of connected roads. Under normal circumstances, a vehicle can only enter or exit the toll roads through ramps, which connect free roads to toll roads. Tolls can be collected manually while vehicles entering or exiting the toll roads. ETC systems have been invented to replace the manual process and collect tolls by reading a RFID chip mounted on the vehicles. In an ETC system, RFID readers are mounted on gantries that are built cross entering ramps, exiting ramps, or main lanes of the toll roads. When a vehicle passes through a gantry, the RFID reader will receive electronic signal sent by REID chip on the vehicle, and then debit toll amount from the user account associated with the RFID chip. Some ETC system has image/video capture equipment mounted on the gantries. The image/video capture device captures images or video of a vehicle when the passing vehicle does not have a REID chip, or when the system failed to read or identify the vehicle. The images or video will then be processed to get the license plate, and toll invoice will be sent to the vehicle owner based on registered information associated to the license plate. ETC system requires a great amount of capital, and time to build, install, and calibrate the whole system.
Some European tolling systems have relied on a combination of global positioning sensors, terrestrial sensors for error correction, and cellular communications systems for billing. The systems use GPS technology to track logistical vehicles, such as commercial trucks, to calculate tolling fees based on distance traveled. Because of the inherent errors in such GPS sensors, the systems also combined terrestrial sensors at key locations to verify the accuracy of GPS sensor readings. Such terrestrial sensors require extensive capital and time and must be regularly placed to assure accurate capture of information. Furthermore, the systems require each vehicle be equipped with GPS sensors, terrestrial sensors, and a cellular communications device to communicate the captured GPS information so that the vehicle may be billed for the road usage.